Superbird
by horseriding-muso
Summary: Theodore DuChamp is sick of his worthless life. He wants it to end. Deals with suicide.


WARNING: Deals with suicide. If you find that issue offensive or hurtful, please don't read on.  
  
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to either the movie "Stand by Me" or the song "Superbird". I am writing only for amusement and am not making any profit out of it.  
  
_When I was young, no worries in my head,  
I used to flap my arms, and fly around the bed,  
Just like a superbird, zoom, zoom, zoom.  
Up and down the chandelier, all around the room._   
  
He took a deep breath as he edged closer to the cliff edge. The wind buffeted him, as though trying to tell him not to do it.  
  
'Don't do it. Don't jump.'  
  
Why should he listen to the wind? He, Theodore, Teddy, Duchamp. The boy whose father had stormed the beach at Normandy. The wind was nothing to him, not compared to all that he had seen and done in his life.  
  
He took his glasses off, the ones he had from child hood, the stupid things that had kept him out of the army, out of his destined future. The wind blew harshly against his face and closed eyes, whipped his hair back, using all its might to get him to step away from the edge. Nothing would make Teddy step away. Nothing.  
  
_When I told the people that I could really fly,  
They said that little boys ain't supposed to lie.  
Poor little superbird sitting on the ground,  
No zoom, zoom, zoom, when anyone's around._   
  
They told him he was nothing. Useless. A waste of space. He had taken shop courses in school, and now, as an adult, he didn't even have a steady job, or any friends. After those two days with his old friends, things had never been the same.  
  
The four had grown apart; Teddy drew into himself, not speaking to Chris, Gordo, or even Vern. His mother had passed his sulkiness off as puberty and a phase he would grow out of, but he didn't.  
  
Teddy remained in his state, until eventually, everyone stoped noticing him, he became invisible, just another body in a sea of people. He became nameless, referred to as 'the weirdo with the crazy father.' Cruel jokes were made and passed around, many reaching Teddy's own ears. He had stopped caring after a while.  
  
_Fly, fly, fly superbird, superbird.  
While you're young super bird, superbird.  
There's time enough to wreck your dreams.  
Have your fun, superbird._   
  
There was a time when Teddy did care. It was a long time ago, before anything happened. Ray Brower was still alive, just another person. Teddy was young, he had his three friends, Vern, Gordo and Chris. There was a time when it was Teddy's dream to be something great, something better than just a handyman. He wanted to be in the army. Be just like his Dad, storm beaches, be a hero in the eyes of his country. It was an obsession. He used to tell people of what he wanted to be, but they simply laughed and said he'd never be in the army. He simply couldn't.  
  
As time went on, Teddy told less people about his dream and fantasized whenever he got the chance. When the boys went to find Ray Brower, he pretended it was a mission assigned to him, cross treacherous country, face many dangers, accomplish it all.  
  
He did achieve the journey. The boys found the dead boy. They saw that Ray Brower wouldn't decompose alone, and anonymously rang the police and told them where the body was.  
  
The time came soon enough when Teddy was old enough to apply for the army. They turned him down. He tried again, and again, each time being told that because of his eyes and his damaged ear, they couldn't use him, had no need for him.  
  
_They said I couldn't, so what did I do then?  
I cried myself to sleep and never tried again.  
Poor little superbird they woke you up too soon.  
No Santa Claus or green cheese on the moon. _  
  
He soon gave up on the army idea. He soon gave up on anything, really. He didn't care what people thought of him, what consequences his actions might have. This landed him in jail for a few years.  
  
He had no hope for a future now. Not that he cared. Teddy became even more withdrawn than ever. His life had become nothing to him.  
  
_It skipped my mind for years, at least until tonight,  
When I tucked the kids in bed and I turned out the light.  
There at the doorway, you'll never guess what I heard  
"Zoom, zoom, zoom, superbird."_  
  
A silent tear rolled down the stone hard face. The memories still hurt, even after all those years. The teasing, the ridicule, the rumours. Teddy angrily brushed it away. Only pussies cry. Was he a pussy then?  
  
He had cried himself to sleep many times. During the day, Teddy acted like he didn't care, nothing hurt him. At night, however, the tears went rolling, the memories came flooding back. He had told himself many, many times how he hated himself, how everyone hated him. He was alone in the world, so what was the point in living?  
  
Teddy edged closer, toes curling around the cliff. He crouched, preparing for flight. With one graceful leap, he was off the edge.  
  
And Theodore Duchamp flew.  
  
_Fly, fly, fly superbird, superbird.  
While you're young superbird, superbird.  
There's time enough to wreck your dreams,  
Have your fun, super bird._   
  
A/N: Well, there it is. I hoped you liked it. It was an idea floating around in my head for quite some time and was driving me batty. I needed a good book or movie to put it to, and eventually I found one. Ahh... now I can relax. Please review, constructive criticism is very welcome, but flames shall simply be deleted and I shall laugh at your stupidity. 


End file.
